When city council voted 13-0 to cease negoations with the Katz Group, some wondered if this signaled an abrupt end to the dream of a new downtown arena in Edmonton. It didn't, it just means both parties will spend some time apart with the hope to reconcile their differences in the future.

Will it work? I think it might, but why did the city choose this direction. I spoke with Edmonton city councillor Kim Krushell about the city's frustration and how, or if, they plan to move forward.

The timing couldn’t be much worse, seeing as Gary Bettman already has a big shit sandwich on his plate with the NHL lockout, but I'm wondering, as others are, if he might take time away from his CBA duties to play a hand in stalled talks between the Edmonton Oilers and city council over a new downtown arena.

When it comes to negotiation, there are several styles that can and will work. It all depends on what your side wants and the other side desires. Then, you have to use the things available to you--time, money, bullets, assclowns--to force the issue. At some point, the other side gives in, sells the plant or moves everything to China.

At first we looked back and were shocked to find that we had written the original with regards to the arena article over two months ago. Then when you think about it absolutely nothing has happened in the time since - no end to the lockout, no movement on the arena whatsover.

"Time literally stands still when you are having fun." - Nobody, Ever.

One of the Katz Groups’ battle cries throughout the process of negotiating a new arena deal, and particularly of late, has been ‘we want the same kind of deal that Winnipeg got.’ In Winnipeg, the ownership of the Jets receives an annual subsidy estimated at $5.5 million from gambling revenue, in addition to the help they got in building their arena.

The problem is that the Winnipeg deal saw three parties at the table, rather than just two.